Characters in the game are either farmers or animal husbandry specialists. They live in a shared environment with decentralized control and must manage their respective interests in the community. Generally, intensive land use with a goal of maximum commercial exploitation is assumed. Conflict arises because farming and animal husbandry require disparate approaches to land use and resource management.

Play involves collaborative creation of the map, identification of player characters, and the general scenario. Usually, the game attempts to mirror the local geography and population. The game rules allow for modification - "According to the principle of adaptive and collective validation, a rule can be modified, deleted, or added during the game, if all players agree".